“Your information system is one of the core elements that bind the entire company— capturing and leveraging information to enable and optimize all value streams.” — from Easier, Simpler, Faster
The dramatic but often overlooked improvements to be realized by lean centric information systems (IS) were chronicled by Jean Cunningham and her co-author, Duane Jones, in the 2008 Shingo Prize recipient book, Easier, Simpler, Faster. They provide their practical explanation of what they did together at Lantech to align information systems and the IT department with their evolving lean company.
A lean centric information systems is one that has been developed—or, usually, re-developed—to optimize appropriate and timely data distribution throughout the enterprise.
This necessarily starts with a company-wide analysis and examination of existing data being collected coupled with an interview process in every department to educate, determine needs, and solicit suggestions. Adding value to the firm’s products and customer relationships is the overarching focus of this investigation.
For your company, lean centric information systems should be planned after lean manufacturing is implemented and applying lean principles to business processes is starting. A lean information system will be more responsive to demand and positively impact materials, scheduling, and inventory. Your ERP system can be specifically aligned with an overall lean information system including external kanban. Even your customers will benefit because lean IS can provide an up to the minute customer demand rate for manufacturing, engineering, and customer service and other product related information.
A lean IT department is one where lean principles have been applied to internal processes to better meet customer needs. At a minimum this improves flow for user application enhancements and first pass yield, reduces support through standardization, lowers administrative overhead, and usually much more.
As a sample, JCC's efforts have resulted in vast departmental process improvements in:
HW/SW storage
Deployment
Staffing processes
Project selection and management
Reporting
Jean Cunningham Consulting can aid you in moving towards Lean IT/IS with presentations, workshops, and kaizen events. We can provide guidance and examples to help you get started or we can lead your entire lean project to completion. We will help you turn your information systems and IT department into an efficient value add resource recognized as such by management and employees alike.
A lean centric information systems is one that has been developed—or, usually, re-developed—to optimize appropriate and timely data distribution throughout the enterprise. 
